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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · swing · bulb · foot · wake · bore · sharp · last

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. field — for sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. swing — to play on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. last — finally
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. last — to go on
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. last — final
  16. wake — a trail
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. bulb — for light
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com